Illumination – Plural light sources – With modifier
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-27
2001-10-09
Quach, Y. (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Plural light sources
With modifier
C362S259000, C362S281000, C362S352000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06299330
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a concertina lamp with a minimum of one concertina arm and a minimum of two lamps attached to concertina arm rods lying behind each other.
Concertina lamps are known which are designed as horizontally extendable pendant lamps. Wherein a lighting device or lamp is attached to each of several links or rods of a horizontal concertina arm, which is connected to a power supply by a cable. While the concertina arm is retracted they form a compact lamp system, and an oblong bank of lamps, while it is extended.
An electrical concertina lamp has become known through DE 195 11 839 C2 and corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,461, where two identical concertina arms parallel to each other made of electrically conductive material, whose hinge points are opposite each other, are equipped with sockets for festoon bulbs on at least two opposite hinge points and are connected with each other by a festoon bulb. Each concertina arm is connected to its respective terminal of a low-voltage power supply.
These concertina lamps allow extensive variation to the desired illumination area, but they cause an increased dazzling due to the bare lighting devices or lamps. Apart from that it may be desired for aesthetic reasons to cover the concertina arms.
Therefore, the aim of the present invention is to improve a concertina lamp of this type so that the dazzling will be reduced and an extensive covering of the concertina arms will be possible.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention this task is solved with a concertina lamp of the above mentioned type by providing a lampshade for each lamp, which is attached to the same concertina arm rod as the respective lamp, and by designing all lampshades as telescopic, so that they will at least partially overlap each other while the concertina arm is retracted.
The measures according to the invention also allow the screening of concertina lamps, progressively lengthwise adjustable lighting systems, with lamps lying behind each other, so that their dazzling will be extensively reduced. By attaching a lampshade to the same concertina arm rod as the lamp and by designing the lampshades so that they fit into each other or are telescopic, the lampshades are able to follow each movement of the concertina arm or the concertina arms progressively without obstructing the extension or retraction of the concertina arm through binding. The lampshades can additionally be designed so that they not only screen the respective lamp but also cover the whole concertina arm rod to which the respective lamp is attached.
In the preferred design of the invention the lampshades extend in the same direction as the concertina arm. But they can also extend in the direction in which the concertina arm retracts. It is important that the extensions of the lampshades are in the direction of the movement of the concertina arm in order to enable the telescoping of the lampshades and their partial overlapping while the concertina arm is retracted.
The lampshades are preferably U-shaped and cover all concertina arms wherein the arms of the “U” are attached to the outside of the external concertina arms. This permits the attachment of the lampshades to the concertina arm with minimal technical effort while screening the individual lamp and simultaneously concealing the applicable concertina arm rod.
Alternatively, the lampshades can completely surround all concertina arms perpendicular to the direction of movement and are attached to the outside of the external concertina arms. In this way complete screening of the lamps as well as the complete concealment of the applicable section of the concertina arm is achieved.
Further improvements to the invention include the lampshades being constructed in a plastic foil which is flexible, has inherent stability sufficient to achieve form stability while the plastic foil is bent and has openings designed to slide onto buttons on the concertina arm(s), and lock into place. This allows economical production of lampshades for a concertina lamp. For example, it is possible to design the lampshades as stamped parts. In order to use the lampshades the stamped parts need only to be equipped with openings designed to lock onto buttons on the concertina arm(s). Due to their flexibility the stamped parts can then be easily bent into a lampshade and locked onto the above mentioned buttons.
According to an advantageous design of the invention one section of a concertina arm rod, that is positioned between two adjacent hinge points of a concertina arm rod can be replaced by a sufficiently rigid section of a lampshade which is attached to these two hinge points on the concertina arm. Due to these measures it is possible to save material from the concertina arm(s) and to reduce the production time. Furthermore a section of the concertina arm rod or even a whole concertina arm rod can be formed as part of a lampshade in an aesthetically more pleasing way.
REFERENCES:
patent: 18154 (1857-09-01), Monson
patent: 685247 (1901-10-01), Boltman
patent: 2683801 (1954-07-01), Faselt
patent: 3619599 (1971-11-01), Hermanson
patent: 5709461 (1998-01-01), Michl et al.
patent: 5791775 (1998-08-01), Douglass, II.
Frieling Patrick
Michl Oliver
Alston & Bird LLP
Quach Y.
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